Understanding and managing endometriosis : advances in research and practice

List of contributors, Foreword, Physiopathologic concepts: Endometriosis is an inflammatory disease. Endometriosis: a systemic disorder associated with immunological dysfunction. Endometriosis and adenomyosis: a unifying hypothesis. Endometriosis is an organ dependent-disease. Peritoneal endometriosis, ovarian endometriosis and adenomyotic nodules of the rectovaginal septum are three different entities. Endometriosis is not a disease but an epiphenomenon. Clinical diagnostic issues: Epidemiologic issues in the study of endometriosis. Endometriosis in adolescence: epidemiology, investigation and diagnosis. Chronic pelvic pain in UK primary care: patterns of diagnosis. Histopathological characteristics of endometriotic lesions: Histopathology of endometriosis: study of activity, angiogenesis and steroid receptor expression in peritoneal endometriosis. Histopathology and tissue remodeling: hormone receptors. Resident leukocytes in endometriosis. New ethiopathogenic factors: Immune dysfunction: Immune reaction. Role of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 in the pathophysiology of endometriosis. Cell adhesion molecules. Synthesis and secretion of a haptoglobin-like protein by peritoneal endometriotic lesions. New ethiopathogenic factors: Tissue remodeling: Paracrine growth factors in endometriosis: evidence for a role of the IGF/IFGPB-3/protease system of the peritoneal fluid in tissue remodeling. Matrix metalloproteinases and endometriosis. Interleukin-1a opposes suppression of human endometrial matrix metalloproteinases by progesterone in a model of experimental endometriosis. New ethiopathogenic factors: Angiogenesis: Ovarian steroids and angiogenesis. Aromatase expression in endometriosis: biology and clinical perspectives. Excessive angiogenesis: a new theory for endometriosis. Treatment of associated infertility: Endometriosis management: past, present and future. Three phase therapy is the best treatment for endometriosis with related infertility. Treatme nt of endometriosis associated with infertility - IVF is the best treatment. Endometriosis: arguments against proposed therapeutic options. Laparoscopy, pain and deep lesions: Endometriosis and pelvic pain: the evidence in favor of surgery. Laparoscopic excision of endometriosis, Hysterectomy without bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for endometriosis. Laparoscopic treatment of extensive endometriosis of the bowel, bladder, ureter and diaphragm. Contemporary use of GnRH agonists: Differential effects of GnRH agonist therapies: implications regarding the estrogen threshold hypothesis. Expanding the utility of the GnRH agonists in the treatment of endometriosis. The place of oral contraceptives: Management of endometriosis: historical background and rationale for the use of steroid hormones. The use of estro-progestatives in the management of endometriosis. Is there a role for oral contraceptives in endometriosis-associated infertility? Recurrent endometriosis: Recurrent or persiste nt endometriosis? Recurrent pain following hysterectomy may be due to persistent endometriosis and uterosacral ligaments. Recurrent ovarian endometrioma. Recurrent rate of deep endometriosis. Prevention of recurrences by postoperative medical treatment. Index.